Abstract: A molecular sieve material is combined with a porous carrier material. The pores of the molecular sieve material are impermeable to molecules or organisms having a size equal to or greater than that of the water molecule either because the molecular sieve material is selected so as to have pores which are smaller than such molecule or because the pores of the molecular sieve material are closed by a film. The pores of the molecular sieve material thus remain unoccupied and are able to exert an attractive force on molecules or organisms which are to be captured. The pores of the carrier material are designed to accept molecules or organisms having a size equal to or greater than that of the water molecule so that, when such molecules or organisms are attracted by the molecular sieve material, they can be trapped in the carrier material.

Abstract: Apparatus for damping vibrations between the crankshaft of the engine and the clutch plate of the friction clutch of a motor vehicle has a first flywheel which is driven by the crankshaft, a second flywheel which is rotatable relative to the first flywheel and can rotate the clutch plate, and a torque transmitting unit between the flywheels. The unit employs one or more dampers in an annular chamber of the first flywheel and a slip clutch on the other flywheel. The output element of the damper or dampers is a flange-like device which constitutes a diaphragm spring and transmits torque to an axially stressed resilent disc which forms part of the slip clutch. The disc is riveted to the second flywheel and is adjacent an axially stressed resilient diaphragm seal which engages the first flywheel to seal the chamber from the atmosphere.

Abstract: An osteosynthetic screw for the setting of bones or bone fragments has an osteological thread zone and a handle. Stability at the so-called stress points of the screw is improved and the design of the screw is changed to obtain better contact. Finally, angularly stable attachment to the osteological plate is possible.

Abstract: A clamp for connecting a pair of formwork panels which are to be disposed side-by-side in a common plane has two clamping members. Each of the clamping members includes a clamping arm for urging the panels together and an adjusting arm which is approximately perpendicular to the respective clamping arm. The clamping members are pivotally mounted on a U-shaped support and the adjusting arms are disposed internally of the support with their free ends overlapping. The clamping arms project from the support and are located on the same side of the latter as the transverse web bridging the legs of the support. The legs are provided with registering openings which are elongated transversely of the adjusting arms. A pivot extends through the overlapping ends of the adjusting arms and into the openings. The pivot is guided by the openings for movement transversely of the adjusting arms and carries an eccentric disc which is arranged to bear against the transverse web of the support.

Abstract: A first mass flow of rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry is transported along a substantially horizontal path wherein the articles are moved sideways, and a second mass flow of articles is transported along an upwardly or downwardly sloping path which makes with the horizontal path an acute angle and merges into the horizontal path at a junction zone wherein the flow of articles is controlled by a pivotable gate. The gate has a blocking surface which intercepts the articles of the mass flow in the first or second path when the gate is moved to a first position, and at least one guide surface which controls the flow of articles in the first or second mass flow during advancement through the junction zone in the first position of the gate. The gate can be pivoted by a second position in which its blocking surface does not interfere with advancement of articles of both mass flows into, through and beyond the junction zone.

Abstract: An apparatus for making copies of a colored master has a color monitor which can produce a color image of the master. The monitor is provided with a circuit for turning a portion of the monitor screen black-and-white and adjusting the size and/or position of the black-and-white portion of the screen. The black-and-white portion of the screen is positioned adjacent to a critical area of the color image so that the density and color of the image can be evaluated. The monitor further includes a circuit for adjusting the density and color of the image.

Abstract: A diaphragm pump wherein the marginal portion of a contoured diaphragm is clamped between the cover and the case of the pump housing and the reinforced central portion of the diaphragm is reciprocated toward and away from the inner side of the cover by the connecting rod of a crank drive. The front side of the diaphragm and the inner side of the cover define a variable-volume pumping chamber which receives a fluid medium by way of an inlet and discharges the aspirated fluid medium by way of an outlet in the cover. The diaphragm has an intermediate portion which connects the central and marginal portions and is provided with an annular flexure zone including an annular protuberance at the rear side of the diaphragm.

Abstract: A gate valve has a one-piece casing which contains a valve chamber. The casing is provided with a tubular stub on either side of the chamber, and the stubs serve to connect the valve to a pair of pipes. The chamber has a non-circular sealing surface which is inclined to the direction of flow. A valving element having a non-circular sealing surface complementary to the sealing surface of the chamber is insertable in the latter via a selected one of the stubs. Following insertion, the valving element is connected to a spindle. Both the valving element and the spindle are held against rotation, and movement of the valving element towards and away from the sealing surface of the chamber is achieved by a rotary nut which is threaded onto the spindle. The sealing surface of the valving element delimits a region having a maximum dimension greater than the maximum dimension of the selected stub as considered in planes normal to the flow direction.

Abstract: A method of converting particles of tobacco leaves, particularly bales or portions of bales of compacted tobacco leaf laminae, into cut tobacco involves admitting portions of and/or entire bales into a tobacco cutter while the temperature of compacted particles matches or exceeds the room temperature of 18.degree.-25.degree. C. and the moisture content of the particles is between 10 and 17 percent.

Abstract: The rotor of a canned motor for a centrifugal pump is cooled by a heat-exchanger installed in the rotor chamber and receives liquid from the plenum chamber of the pump or from another source. Liquid entering the rotor chamber can leak therefrom by way of a flow-restricting outlet (at 10). The outlet permits gases to escape from the rotor chamber when the motor is started, but limits the leakage of liquid from the rotor chamber. Leaking liquid is admitted into the suction chamber of the pump.

Abstract: A connector which can separably couple a hollow first profiled member with a channeled second profiled member has an open-ended housing for a reciprocable clawed coupling member and an eccentric which is rotatable to move the coupling member between extended and retracted positions. The coupling member has a front projection which can be pushed by a disc of the eccentric to move the coupling member to extended position in which the claw or claws of the coupling member can enter a channel of the second profiled member. The coupling member further includes a rear projection which can be pushed by the disc to move the coupling member to the retracted position in which the claw or claws bear against an internal surface of the second profiled member and urge an outer side of the second profiled member against the adjacent end of the first profiled member. The rear projection is part of a looped rear end portion of the substantially plate like coupling member.

Abstract: A portable muscle building and exercising apparatus wherein a helical compression coil spring is installed in a housing and can be stressed to different degrees by three loop-shaped handles two of which are to be held and pulled by the two hands and the third of which can be engaged and pulled by one or both feet of the user or affixed to a stationary part. The component which actually stresses the spring is a tensioning member having a conductive extension which can complete the circuit of a plug-shaped acoustic alarm when the spring stores a select amount of energy. The alarm can be moved to any one of a number of different positions in the path of movement of the extension of the tensioning member. The audible signal which is generated by the alarm indicates to the user that the selected degree of stress upon the spring has been reached as well as that such stress is maintained.

Abstract: The hardness of cigarettes which move in a direction at right angles to their axes is measured with one or more pivotable levers which rest on the moving cigarettes to elastically deform the adjacent portions of the cigarettes. The extent of elastic deformation is measured and the results of the measurements are used to regulate the operation of a cigarette rod making or filter tipping machine so as to ensure that the hardness of cigarettes will match an optimum value.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding tobacco particles to one or two cigarette rod making machines has a magazine with a duct having an open lower end above the upper reach of an endless belt conveyor. The conveyor can be driven to advance tobacco particles in the duct toward an outlet of the magazine where the particles are removed by one or more rotors which are driven to move the particles upwardly and away from the upper reach of the conveyor before the particles are caused or permitted to descend into a hopper. The bottom portion of the hopper admits tobacco particles into one of two suction-operated pneumatic conveyors each of which supplies tobacco particles to a discrete rod making machine. The conveyor is driven at a first speed when the hopper supplies tobacco particles to a single rod making machine, and at twice the first speed when the hopper supplies tobacco particles to two rod making machines.

Abstract: Apparatus for transmitting torque from the engine-driven crankshaft to the input shaft of the change-speed transmission in a motor vehicle has two coaxial flywheels which are rotatable relative to each other against the opposition of three series-connected dampers including a pair of annular slip clutches and an elastic damper between the slip clutches. One of the slip clutches opposes all angular movements of the flywheels relative to each other and its output element transmits torque from the flywheel which is driven by the crankshaft to the input element of the elastic damper. The output element of the elastic damper is the input element of the other slip clutch which is mounted on the other flywheel and opposes rotational movements of the flywheels relative to each other within a preselected angle.

Abstract: Bales of compressed tobacco ribs and/or tobacco leaf laminae having a moisture content of 8-11 percent are advanced past a battery of microwave generators or through one or more electric high frequency fields to raise the temperature of particles in the bales to between 30.degree. and 90.degree. C. The bales or portions of the bales are thereupon loosened, prior to complete cooling back to starting temperature, by the pins of a conveyor which delivers the particles of loosened bales or portions of bales into the magazine of a shredding machine wherein the particles are cut. The moisture content of shreds is raised to 12-13.5 percent at which the shreds are ready for processing into smokers' products, or above 13.5 percent, for example, to between 21 and 30 percent. Such moisturizing to above the processing moisture content is or can be followed by drying of the shreds.